


Intentions

by Heather_Night



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Police, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heather_Night/pseuds/Heather_Night
Summary: “Cody, I want you to meet your new partner.  He’s a retrocog who will be assisting you with your investigations.”  Pearce’s voice continued on but Pope missed what he said.He hadfinallybeen assigned a psychic partner.  It had been five long years since he joined the unit with the promise of working with someone gifted to solve homicide investigations.  Somehow, he’d never been a match and he didn’t know if it was because his interpersonal skills were less than stellar or if his potential partners weren’t cut out for homicide investigations.Turning to meet the retrocog, Pope almost stumbled; he knew his partner.It was one of Deran’s little friends.Adrian Dolan.
Relationships: Andrew 'Pope' Cody & Adrian Dolan, Andrew 'Pope' Cody/Adrian Dolan, Deran Cody/Clark Lincoln
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Intentions

**Author's Note:**

> Please heed the relationship tags as I'm not writing my usual fare. There were no tags for any of these relationships so I'm definitely paddling out into unchartered waters.

“Cody, in my office.” The captain’s bark lacked its usual bite so Pope wasn’t sure why he’d been summoned to Captain Pearce’s office if he wasn’t being called on the carpet. Usually fuck-ups were the only thing that put him on Cap’s radar.

Pope approached the office with caution. The blinds were drawn on the glass wall so he couldn’t even see if someone was waiting to ambush him as he entered. 

“Cody, I want you to meet your new partner. He’s a retrocog who will be assisting you with your investigations.” Pearce’s voice continued on but Pope missed what he said.

He had _finally_ been assigned a psychic partner. It had been five long years since he joined the unit with the promise of working with someone gifted to solve homicide investigations. Somehow, he’d never been a match and he didn’t know if it was because his interpersonal skills were less than stellar or if his potential partners weren’t cut out for homicide investigations.

Turning to meet the retrocog, Pope almost stumbled; he knew his partner.

It was one of Deran’s little friends.

_Adrian Dolan_.

He supposed Dolan wasn’t little anymore but he was a good ten years younger than Pope. He didn’t remember the kid having any special gifts back when he was running around with the runt but he knew sometimes gifts didn’t develop until adulthood.

“I see you remember your training, Cody. Retrocogs don’t like to be touched until they know you better in case the contact triggers an episode.” Pearce sounded proud.

Pope grimaced; he hadn’t shaken Dolan’s hand because he was too busy wrestling with the fact he knew his partner.

The partner he’d been waiting for what seemed like forever.

“Why don’t you two go around the corner and get some coffee, catch up a little.” So, Pearce was aware Pope knew his knew partner.

Pope waited patiently as Pearce clapped Dolan on the shoulder, welcoming him to the unit. He followed Dolan toward the door but was stopped briefly by his commanding officer. “You’ve earned this, Andrew. Take good care of your partner, and I think you’re going to rise up through the ranks.”

He could count on one hand the number of times Captain Pearce had called him Andrew. His face felt hot but he shook the man’s hand before hustling after his new partner. 

Later he would trot out this memory and replay it. Treasure it. Pearce didn’t hand out compliments unless they were deserved.

For now he needed to catch up to Dolan and find out exactly what kind of care he required. Pope’s specialized classes said the gifted always had quirks and special handling instructions.

This is what he’d trained for and he was excited he’d finally be able to join the elite homicide detectives in the unit.

Even if he was stuck babysitting Deran’s little friend to achieve his goals.

-0-

Adrian couldn’t believe it—his partner was Pope Cody. His stomach churned with anxiety; there was so much wrong with this scenario.

He’d never wanted to work with the police but ever since his accident, and the arrival of his so-called gift, he had limited options. He had a record albeit when he was minor but it still kind of stuck in his craw that his job was now helping the cops. 

As a retrocog he’d be able to assist with any investigations but he’d been saddled with homicide; despite the squeamishness he felt at the sight of his own blood, seeing it at murder scenes didn’t bother him too much. That was something he could’ve lived without knowing about himself so it qualified as strike two.

Strike three? He had to work with Pope. Deran’s brother hated Adrian. Or maybe hate was too strong of a word. Disgust? Adrian didn’t know what it was but the older man had barely tolerated his presence on a good day and most days he looked at him like he was something he’d scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Partnering with this guy? Adrian snorted; they’d be lucky if they didn’t kill each other by the end of the week. Wouldn’t that make for a nifty homicide investigation for another team?

“What’s so fucking funny?” Pope growled. 

The guy’s aura flared red and any humor Adrian found in the situation immediately dissipated. Codys were dangerous people and the last thing he needed was to get on the wrong side of his partner on day one.

More like minute one.

He drew on a lifetime of living with unstable people and removed any animation from his face, turning it blank. “Sorry you got stuck with me as your partner. I’m sure if you file the paperwork, they’ll give you someone better.”

Pope gave him a funny look. “That’s not funny. Now come on, Captain Pearce said we needed to catch up and that’s what we’re going to do. I’ve waiting too long for us to fuck this up.”

The only thing that kept Adrian from turning on his heel and running in the other direction was that Pope had said _us_. He wasn’t taking the blame—or in Smurf’s case, the potential blame—solo. 

And he needed the money. “Okay.”

Pope didn’t smile but he didn’t frown either. He grunted which Adrian thought meant he should follow him so he did.

The walk to the coffee shop was too brief and once they entered, they went to the counter to order. It was quiet and no one was in the queue.

Pope turned to him. “What do you want?”

Adrian was a bit taken aback. “Um, I can order for myself?” He wasn’t sure why he turned his statement into a question but he didn’t want the red aura to make another reappearance. 

“I was told I’m supposed to interface with the public on your behalf.” Pope raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Adrian had forgotten detectives who worked with psychics had intensive training. He’d had one day of training which mainly consisted of _always tell the truth about crime scene readings_ and _listen to your partner_. 

Pope’s fingers drummed on the countertop. 

Adrian took a deep breath and went with the first thing that came to mind. “Large Americano, please.”

The guy behind the counter recited his order which made Pope scowl. “Make that two,” he growled. 

Both Adrian and the guy behind the counter blurted, “I’m sorry.”

Adrian stepped away to find a table but Pope’s head snapped to the side, freezing him in place. “You’re supposed to stay by my side.”

He stepped back. “Sorry, they didn’t really cover all the rules.” This was as bad as Honors English in high school where he was constantly dinged for not anticipating the teacher’s wishes. 

Once the coffees were set on the counter, and Pope grabbed them both, Adrian was allowed to trail behind Pope like a dog heeling on a walk.

They sat at a corner table, Pope scowling. Wait, maybe that wasn’t a scowl. It was more like the guy was concentrating. Hard.

Adrian took a gulp of the too hot coffee but didn’t complain; he was happy to do something else besides fidget beneath Pope’s stare.

“When did you get your gift?” His new partner asked.

Okay, he could do this. “I was in a minor car accident, smacked my forehead on the steering wheel and now I have retrocognition.” Which sucked. Majorly. 

“Why are you frowning?” Since when did Pope care if he was frowning? Pope didn’t usually care about anyone’s feelings, not even his own.

“It doesn’t really feel like a gift. It kind of fucked up my life.”

Pope actually jerked back, coffee sloshing onto the table. “What do you mean it’s not a gift?”

Adrian shrugged. “The people I was close to can’t handle what I can do. They feel like I’m always going to bust them out since I can sometimes see the past.”

“What do you mean sometimes?” Pope grabbed some paper napkins and cleaned up his mess. He was still the emotionally constipated man Adrian remembered but also still very tidy. 

He caught himself shrugging again; at this rate he’d end up with neck and shoulder problems. “I don’t just automatically read something; it takes intent on my part.” And that was something no one really believed.

His mom was scared to talk to him so he figured she was hiding something about his dad. More specifically how his dad felt about him. 

His sister preferred to talk to him over the phone; he had no idea what Jess might be hiding but at least she kept in touch.

Losing Deran had been a bitter pill to swallow. They’d had a good thing going although it might not have lasted. It didn’t matter though because Smurf thought he’d narc on them so Deran had to either stop spending time with him or kill him.

He’d been friends with Deran for-fucking-ever. Losing his friendship had hurt more than losing him as a boyfriend.

And now he was working with Deran’s brother. Pope had walked away from the family business because he wanted to solve crimes.

His life was weird.

But this was now his life so he’d better get with the program. “Can you tell me how crime scenes work?”

That was the magic question; Pope’s lips curled up and his light brown eyes sparkled. 

At least Adrian had done one thing right today.

-0-

Pope guided Adrian into the house, shielding him with his body when other officers moved too close.

He expected Adrian to balk but his partner took it in stride.

His partner took most everything in stride so far.

It was refreshing to finally have someone listen to him. His family never had. The other detectives preferred to do things their own way. Adrian let Pope guide him through the process.

He was at his first crime scene as an official member of the Psychic Assisted Homicide Crime Unit. He’d worked his ass off for this. Thanks to Adrian, his dream had come true.

Once they were standing outside the office where the murder vic had been found, Pope drew Adrian aside. “Do you remember what we discussed?”

Adrian could’ve rolled his eyes but he looked serious, even a little bit nervous, as he nodded. “We’re going to go in, I’ll locate the best source to read, we’ll identify the culprit, and you’ll make the arrest.”

“If that’s how it plays out, then we’ll be going to dinner to celebrate, too. Now let’s get in there and solve this thing.” Pope entered the room first and made sure it was clear before allowing Adrian inside.

His partner looked around the room, cataloging everything including the body slumped over the desk. Forensics waited in the hallway but Pope was guessing the COD was some sort of poison. He’d be pissed off if this was actually a natural death.

His first psychic crime scene. He fought the smile trying to explode across his face.

“I’m going with the desk. I thought about the pen but the desk seems safer.”

Pope nodded his agreement with Adrian’s plan.

Adrian tentatively touched the mahogany desk, grimacing as he made contact. 

He tried not to crowd Adrian but he didn’t like seeing him in any distress. He’d found that out on their first day when they’d talked over coffee—seeing Adrian upset didn’t sit well with him.

Adrian’s eyes drifted close and the grimace remained. His eyes snapped open and he sought out Pope immediately. “Business partner. He used antifreeze. George realized it after he’d guzzled down the drink Mike had prepared for him but by then he was too busy puking and, uh, other things.”

His partner moved away from the desk his nose crinkled in disgust.

“Are you okay?” Pope watched Adrian closely. He was pale but he was always pale. He was supposed to monitor him for possible side effects from using his gift. Several psychics had been struggling lately which was now why they had mandated visits with the department psych doctor.

He’d yet to mention that to Adrian; he didn’t want to upset him before their first case.

Adrian didn’t look upset at the moment. He looked a little queasy but the bodily fluids were a bit overwhelming. 

His partner shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Can we go now?” He moved right into Pope’s personal space.

Pope found he didn’t mind. He took Adrian’s elbow. “Let’s step out into the hallway.”

They ran into Andre. “Do you have the contact information for George’s business partner, Michael? He’s our man.”

He enjoyed the surprise on the detective’s face; no one had told them any information other than there was a DB at this address. Adrian had supplied the victim’s first name.

Also, the murderer’s.

“Sure, sure. That was quick. I’ll contact the judge for a warrant.” He hustled off.

Pope stood there for a moment and basked in Adrian’s achievement. Because of his gift, a murderer was going to pay for his crimes.

There was paperwork to fill out back at the precinct and then celebrating to do. “Come on, let’s get going. Once I file our report, we can eat out wherever you want.”

Adrian perked up. “That sounds good.”

When was the last time someone had willingly wanted to eat with Pope? Adrian didn’t seem to have any reluctance at the thought.

He carefully escorted Adrian away from the crime scene. 

Best. Day. Ever.

-0-

“So, it says here you acquired the gift of psychometry after a car accident.” The doctor looked up, tilting her head. “It wasn’t a traumatic brain injury?”

Adrian frowned. His chart should have all of the facts so why was she making him regurgitate the sorry story? When her eyebrows climbed higher, he sighed. “I smacked my head on the steering wheel and I never even lost consciousness.” His fingers sought the spot in the middle of his forehead and lightly kneaded at the area.

Angela Brennan, as she’d introduced herself, tucked a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. “Sometimes our gifts make themselves known when we need them.”

The way she stared at him with her bright blue eyes was…creepy. And she’d said _our gifts_ \--did that mean she had a psychic power, too?

“No other gifts than the psychometry?” She blinked her eyes at him, patiently waiting.

It was bad enough he couldn’t hide the retrocognition—viewing the past wasn’t nearly as interesting as precognition which might’ve changed the course of people’s lives before they lost them—but there was no way in hell he was mentioning his ability to read auras.

Although ever since Dr. Brennan had joined him in the exam room, he’d been trying to read hers and was getting a big, fat zero. Black signified blocked energy. It could be that the room had some sort of dampening device or maybe the doctor herself acted as one.

He might not be able to read her aura but Adrian thought she was weird. Then again people thought he was weird so maybe he shouldn’t let her get to him. 

“I’d like to prescribe these pills for you.” She went to the locked cabinet, entered the password, and withdrew a bottle. She turned and pushed the bottle into his hand despite his attempt to shy away from it.

“Um, I’m not big on taking pills.” That was actually true. He wasn’t into pills but he’d never met a blunt he’d declined. Being on the police force had done a number on that habit.

She cocked her head to the side again; it was kind of unnerving, like she could see through him. Her slight smile didn’t put him at ease. “They’ll help with your headaches. I think your psychic energy is causing them. I’d like you to take one in the morning and one in the evening. Approximately twelve hours apart if you can manage it.”

Adrian stared at the pill bottle. He didn’t want to take Ephemerol, whatever the hell that was.

“One month. That’s when your next appointment is scheduled for and if at that time the meds aren’t effective you can discontinue them. But I want you to try them for a full month though, okay?” She was standing a little too close to him and he shifted away.

He’d had a low-level headache since the car accident and without the pot to take the edge off, he never could shake it completely.

Shrugging he took the bottle. “Okay, one month.”

“Take care, Adrian.” 

Lots of people used that phrase as a closing comment but it sent a shiver up Adrian’s spine.

He didn’t like hospitals so maybe that’s why this whole appointment had bothered him.

Hopping off the exam table, pill bottle clutched in his hand, he beat a hasty exit.

-0-

Pope struggled to make small talk. He was aware it was considered a flaw but he was task oriented and wasting energy on niceties grinded on him.

Fortunately, Adrian didn’t seem to mind. He had to say partnering with Deran’s friend had turned out much better than he could’ve hoped.

Adrian knew him well enough not to be put off by his gruffness and the only time he’d opposed Pope was over his mandated visit to the police department’s psychic doctor.

So really this didn’t fall under the heading of small talk because Pope was supposed to take care of his partner which meant he should know how Adrian’s appointment with the doc went yesterday. He waited until he turned the key in the ignition and they were both belted in before turning toward the passenger seat and staring at Adrian’s profile.

Adrian was probably considered a classically handsome man. He had the whole cheekbones and jawline thing going on and when he smiled, he really lit up.

He wasn’t smiling now.

And why the fuck was Pope noticing his partner was attractive?

Adrian turned and looked back. “Now what?” He even crossed his arms.

“You’re supposed to tell me about your appointment with the department psych doc.” Pope found himself crossing his arms, too.

Eyebrows high on his forehead, Adrian’s eyes were wide. “Is that another department mandated rule?”

“What? No, of course not. But I’m your partner, I’m supposed to make sure you’re okay.” Pope spoke slowly. He certainly wasn’t psychic but something was going on here although he didn’t know what exactly.

Adrian snorted. “Actually, you’re supposed to keep me safe. I’m safe.”

Pope gave him _the look_ and Adrian looked away. “Fine, I don’t like doctors. I’ve seen enough of them to last a lifetime.” 

He digested this. It made sense. But Adrian seemed touchy about the whole subject, especially for someone who was so Zen about murder scenes. He could think of one reason why Adrian would be touchy and it made every protective instinct in his body stand at attention. “The doctor didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“What? Fuck no.” Adrian seemed startled. “ _She_ gave me pills. I don’t like pills. Now can we roll already? I thought we had a crime scene.”

Pope didn’t like seeing Adrian off balance like this. Maybe he could ask around, see what the other psychics thought of this doctor. He didn’t even know the doctor’s name. Hell, he hadn’t even known it was a female although that didn’t really matter.

All that mattered was making sure his partner was safe. Pope took that responsibility very seriously.

He shot Adrian another glance as he reversed out of the parking stall. 

He realized he wanted Adrian both safe and happy which was weird. They were only partners.

Although if they were just partners, why was Pope so drawn to Adrian?

-0-

Adrian rubbed his third eye. He quit when Pope gave him a look with his pretty light brown eyes.

It wasn’t _the look_ that made him want to go hide so he wouldn’t get scolded; no, it was more a look of curiosity. 

Or worry.

Although the fact Adrian was noticing how pretty Pope’s eyes were was a worry. They were just partners.

Pope moved closer to him and Adrian relaxed. He trusted Pope to take care of him at the crime scene.

Hell, he trusted Pope. Period. 

As they approached the crime scene, Livengood passed them with someone bundled in his arms. Adrian saw long blond hair trailing over his arm.

Pope pulled him aside as other cops hustled past them. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, um, that was Livengood’s partner. Lately she’s been overwhelmed by crime scenes and he has to take care of her.”

He stared at Adrian like he was supposed to give a response. It’s too bad he wasn’t sure what to say. “That’s, uh, too bad?”

The epic eyeroll he received reminded him so much of Deran he had to tamp down on the urge to smile. Pope smacked him lightly on the back of his head, reminiscent of thumps he’d seen handed out to Craig and Deran dozens of times before. In a weird way it made him feel accepted.

“No, jackass, I wanted to know what happens if you get overloaded. There’s no way I can carry your heavy ass like Livengood just did to Halleck.” Pope crossed his arms and glared. It was a light glare on the scale of glares he’d received so it didn’t bother him.

Adrian shrugged. “It hasn’t come up yet. I guess maybe don’t let anyone else touch me if I space out.”

With a grunt, Pope nodded. “Ask the doctor next time.” Unspoken was the _dumbass_ at the end of the order.

He didn’t like the doctor and didn’t want to talk about her. She was creepy as fuck and he didn’t think he needed to take the pills she gave him but he’d said he’d try them and he would. 

At least for now.

“Come on, let’s go solve this.” Pope frowned. It wasn’t exactly a resting bitch face but the guy never looked happy.

Well, that wasn’t true. Pope had looked happy when they ate out after their first case was solved. He’d even laughed once.

He straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Let’s see what we can do.” Adrian was competitive and he liked helping solve crimes. After his brushes with the law as a juvie, it was difficult to wrap his head around the shift in attitude.

One car accident leading to psychic abilities later and lots of things had shifted in his life. Initially he’d thought his life was ruined but maybe it wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought.

He was gainfully employed and it wasn’t so bad. Hell, even hanging out with Pope wasn’t so bad. In fact, sometimes it was the highlight of his day.

Pope’s lips twitched before he turned away. Maybe that was a smile? His partner turned and continued toward the house, pushing past the cops loitering in front of the door, blazing a trail for Adrian. He’d tried telling Pope he couldn’t accidentally read someone just by making casual contact—it all came down to intentions—but his partner still acted like he needed the special handling. He followed along in his wake, eyes down, trying not to piss off the cops. Some habits die hard.

They ended up on the second floor where a dark-haired, petite woman wailed her lungs out in the hallway. It seemed a bit over dramatic to Adrian but he’d never lost someone to death. He’d lost them to other things, but nothing so permanent.

Detective Andre greeted them. “DB was her husband. She says she found him in the bedroom and immediately called us.” He smirked at Adrian. “Do you need anything special to do your thing, princess?”

His partner growled. “Fuck you, Andre. Just make sure the area is secure until we’re done in there.”

Adrian wanted to thank Pope for sticking up for him but he was being hustled away from the other detective and into the bedroom where a large, muscular man was splayed across the bed. Leaning closer, Adrian observed a hole between his eyes and he winced.

“What do you want to read?” Pope asked.

Looking around, there wasn’t a lot to choose from. He could try reading the pillow the man rested on but if he was going to get that close, he might as well touch the victim.

“I’m going to try his hand.” Adrian wasn’t excited about it but he figured it would give the clearest reading.

Pope crinkled his nose. “Whatever you think best.”

Adrian rolled up his sleeves and took a deep breath to center himself; the body hadn’t begun decomposing so at least he didn’t have to deal with that issue. He reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around the man’s wrist.

_His eyes opened to find Elaina leaning over him. He leaned on his forearms, struggling to wake up from his nap._

_“You have lipstick on your shirt. I told you what I would do if you ever cheated on me!”_

_He opened his mouth to explain—he’d comforted his secretary who received some bad news about a family member—when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye._

_The bitch was going to hit him with her fucking shoe!_

_Before he could put a hand up, the shoe connected with his forehead._

_Darkness._

Adrian loosened his hold on the victim’s wrist. 

Pope stood on the other side of the bed with his notebook out. “What did you see?”

“Elaina, his wife, hit him with her shoe.” Adrian leaned over and looked more closely at the wound. “Stiletto heel maybe?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, she thought he was cheating on her but his secretary heard some bad news and he got lipstick on his shirt collar when he comforted her.”

“You’re a fucking liar!”

This time is wasn’t a shoe but the whole woman coming at him. Adrian wasn’t worried because she was a good six inches shorter than him and at least fifty pounds lighter.

His outlook changed when her hands wrapped around his neck. 

His thoughts fizzled out at the contact. _Noise. Unbearable loud noise. High pitched screeching. It didn’t make any sense. He couldn’t tell which way was up. He couldn’t find his way out._

_Shriiiiiiieeeeekkkkkkk…silence._

__

“What the fuck, Andre, you were supposed to secure the room!”

Adrian knew that voice. It was Pope.

Pope touched his neck and instead of noise he felt comfort.

He blinked his eyes open to find Pope leaning over him. “You with me?”

Adrian nodded his head but he didn’t try moving. 

Pope had a hand beneath his neck and the other cupping his cheek. It seemed like an intimate gesture and if Adrian was in full control of his faculties, he’d probably feel embarrassed but not right now.

Right now he needed the contact to ground him. That had been fucked up. He hadn’t intended to read the woman so he wasn’t sure why that had happened.

“Do you think you can sit up?” Pope had rarely sounded this patient in his presence.

“Sure.” Adrian levered up on his elbows but Pope grabbed his shoulders and gently tugged him upright.

Besides the ringing in his ears—that shriek had been pure hell—he thought he felt okay.

A new voice, soft but commanding, spoke up. “Ambulance is pulling up now. Just take it easy until they can look at you, okay Adrian?”

Adrian looked up, squinting. Captain Pearce stood in the doorway but he was keeping his distance. 

Pope settled next to him, keeping an arm around him. He turned to look at him, noticing his partner’s pallor. “I think I’m okay. Can we just go?”

“Adrian, you were out for over fifteen minutes. We’re not leaving until you get the all clear.” Pope made it sound like an order and Adrian didn’t like getting bossed around but at the same time the guy looked, and sounded, freaked out.

He bent his knees and leaned his elbows on them, settling in for a wait. “Um, whatever you think best.”

Pearce and Pope started talking and Adrian let the noise wash over him. It wasn’t that nightmarish noise from before so he could deal with it.

Especially when Pope kept an arm wrapped around him, supporting him.

-0-

Pope had no idea how to help Adrian. Hell, he didn’t even know what had happened.

Adrian said he couldn’t read someone from just casual contact although maybe having a murderer’s hands wrapped around the throat wasn’t casual. One moment Adrian had been bracing for contact from the pint-sized hysterical woman and the next he’d been flat on his back, unresponsive.

“I don’t know what happened, Cap. She touched him and it went completely sideways. But I do know Andre was supposed to secure the scene and he let her get in here.” He scowled up at Pearce. 

The weight against his side became heavier and he looked over. Adrian was curled over his bent knees, eyes closed. Dozing? Passed out?

“Hey, can you hear me?” He squeezed Adrian more tightly.

“Mmmm,” was the response. Not unconscious but not with it either.

Pearce moved into the room but kept his voice down. “I’ll look into what happened. You just take care of your partner.”

He could hear voices approaching and two guys wrangling a gurney pushed into the room.

Pope didn’t want to move but Pearce called him off. He shifted to push to his feet and Adrian flailed his hand, grabbing awkwardly at Pope. “Stay?”

“Of course.” His voice was gruff. The two EMTs gave him a funny look but they must’ve been warned they were dealing with a psychic because they didn’t try to budge Pope from his partner’s side.

“Um, we need to get him on the gurney.” The taller EMT kept his voice soft. The other EMT was on his cell phone and it sounded like he was getting instructions from someone on the other end.

Adrian clung to Pope. “I’m not going to the hospital.” His voice squeaked with stress and Pope felt bad for the kid. Guy. Definitely a guy, an athletic guy with a good body, and Pope would know because Adrian was plastered against him.

He wasn’t supposed to notice that though. Adrian was his partner. Off limits.

Pearce was now in the room. “He needs to be seen by Dr. Brennan.” 

Pope wondered why Pearce was telling him but he looked down; Adrian was burrowed against him, face buried in the side of Pope’s neck. 

The other EMT was pulling fluid into a needle just like when he got a flu shot. “The doctor said to give him 10 ccs of Ativan.” 

Adrian tensed but didn’t struggle as the gloved paramedics rolled his sleeve up, alcohol wiped a patch of skin and sunk the needle home.

Pope stuck close as Adrian was loaded onto the gurney and carted downstairs into the waiting ambulance. The ride to the hospital was a blur as Pope concentrated on Adrian’s pale face. When his attention drifted down his body, he was arrested by the red marks against the white of Adrian’s neck.

His partner was strong, worked out, and he could’ve easily batted the hysterical woman away. Something happened when there was skin to skin contact though, something that Pope had never observed before.

Adrian talked about the intentions of his touch and how he had to want to read something in order for his gift to kick in. Pope didn’t think that’s what had happened at all this time. He hadn’t even rushed around the bed, certain Adrian had things handled, but he’d been close enough to see the way Adrian’s eyes rolled back in his head. His own heart had stuttered as Adrian had collapsed to the floor with the dark-haired murderer’s hands still clutched around his neck.

What a clusterfuck.

The ambulance backed into the bay and when the doors opened, he was met by a sight he’d never expected to see again: Julia’s friend Angela. She was standing there is a long white lab coat and everyone seemed to defer to her.

It was unexpected. And weird.

Pope made eye contact with her. “Can you help him?”

She smiled; it didn’t really put him at ease. “Don’t worry, Pope, I’ll take good care of him.”

-0-

Adrian was sick of floating. He should’ve caught a wave by now, or if the ocean was only producing ankle biters, headed in toward shore. 

Something was wrong.

He tried to paddle but his arms remained glued to his sides.

“Are you sure he’s okay? He seems tense. And he’s frowning.”

He knew that voice. Pope? What was Pope doing here?

Where was here?

“I’ll just give him a little something to relax him. And remember, don’t touch him. You don’t want to cause another episode until we get this figured out.”

He couldn’t remember the woman’s name but he didn’t like her. He didn’t trust her.

Why didn’t he trust her?

His memories were slow in coming but he remembered the car accident. The ridiculously mild head injury. The stupid psychic powers.

Psychic. The woman was psychic. She was drugging him. He’d been okay until he’d started taking those pills.

Pope was his partner. Pope would help him. 

Warmth enfolded his hand. 

Skin on skin contact with intentions.

_Pope?_

“Whoa, I didn’t believe her. Let me just…huh, you’re not gonna let go ,are you? She said I might trigger another episode.” His partner sounded worried.

He should be; Dr. Brennan was unpredictable. _She did this to me. The pills. I was fine before. You have to get me out of here. Please?”_

“But Angela said she could help you.” Pope sounded confused. Although Adrian was speaking to him without words so he supposed confusion was normal.

He hadn’t been able to do this before. But now things were starting to make sense and he needed to tell Pope. _I think she wants to experiment on me. She’s drugging me. Don’t let on you know or she might hurt you._

“Fuck, she’s coming back.”

Adrian lost the connection.

If he concentrated, he could hear them talking. Pope said he needed to go for a while, that he’d be back. Dr. Brennan said she’d stay with Adrian.

Fuck. He was stuck floating on the endless water. No way to get to shore. No one to talk to.

_It’s okay, Adrian. I’m here._

The doctor was in his head? 

His breathing became labored.

He slid beneath the surface, not fighting the faint. Maybe when he woke up, she’d be gone.

-0-

Pope believed Adrian. There was something wrong with Angela. She seemed okay when she talked to Pope but as soon as she looked at Adrian, she looked like a predator.

It was true, Adrian had been fine until he’d started taking the pills. He hadn’t wanted to leave Adrian behind with her but he needed help. 

That’s why he was knocking on Deran’s door. More like banging it down. He knew his brother was at home—the Scout was parked out front—and he was going to break down the damn door in another minute.

His brother whipped his door open, scowling at him. “Do you mind? I was in the middle of something.”

Pope brushed past him, moving deeper into the house. Deran’s boyfriend, Linc, wandered down the hallway. “Who is it, babe?”

“It’s my asshole brother.” Deran bitched. 

Linc laughed. “Your family has fantastic timing.” He nodded to Pope. “Hey, how are you?”

The buff guy went into the fridge and grabbed a bottled water, handing it to a shirtless Deran. Apparently, Pope had interrupted something. “Look, I’m sorry, but I need your help.”

“You know I can’t help you, Pope. Smurf will kill me. Then you.” Deran chugged half the water before handing it to Linc who finished it off.

Pope hated asking for help but having a nurse on his side was probably his best play. He’d hatched the beginnings of a plan as soon as he was away from the hospital; he didn’t know what psychic gift or gifts Angela had but having someone in the profession on his side seemed like a good starting point. He turned to Linc. “It’s Linc’s help I need.”

Linc stood taller, crossing his arms. “What kind of help.”

“Adrian’s in the hospital—”

“What the fuck, Pope. You should’ve lead with that news!” Deran was easy to wind up but Pope wasn’t trying to do that. He knew there was romantic history between his brother and his partner but Linc at least seemed calm about it.

Linc stood next to Deran, bumping him with his hip. “Let the man talk.” He looked at Pope, assessing. “What’s going on? The last time we saw Adrian, he seemed to be taking things in stride.”

Okay, good. Linc knew Adrian. That made things easier.

Or maybe not according to the grimace on Deran’s face. “I’m not supposed to spend time with Adrian. Smurf’s afraid he’ll read something and I don’t know, bust us out, now that he’s a cop.”

Pope took a deep breath. That explained quite a bit. Adrian’s caginess about why he didn’t hang out with Deran, his little brother being flustered…but it didn’t explain why Linc seemed unflustered.

“I’m a null. Psychic powers don’t work on me so Smurf could give a rat’s ass about me hanging around Deran. Now what’s going on with Adrian?” Linc’s lips pursed and there was tension in his shoulders.

Scratching the back of his neck, Pope recalculated his plan. “That’s actually great news. Adrian’s gifts are out of control and he’s been hospitalized. He’s unconscious but when I touched him, he was able to tell me he thought the doctor was drugging him. That the doctor might experiment on him. He asked me to get him out of there but I need a diversion.”

He paused, waiting for the explosion.

Deran didn’t disappoint. “What the fuck does that even mean? And no, you’re not dragging Linc into some sort of twisted psychic investigation thing. I’ll help.”

Linc turned toward Deran. “Adrian’s my friend, too. If this doctor really is psychic then her mojo won’t work on me. And if he’s really sick, I can help him.”

“Linc, baby, it’s too dangerous.” Deran’s voice had a slight whine to it but Pope understood: His brother didn’t want anything bad to happen to Linc.

Pope felt the same about Adrian. 

Later he’d have to examine why that was. Now they needed to come up with a plan. 

Before Pope could lobby for Linc’s help, the man himself spoke up. “I think you’ve forgotten I’m no stranger to danger. Remember what I used to do for a living? This should be easy.”

Nodding his approval, Pope threw out a suggestion. “How about if Deran and I stage a fight as the nurses station—”

“And I’ll go into Adrian’s room and sneak him out,” Linc finished.

“Who says the fight is going to be staged?” Deran sighed. “This fucking sucks but I’m in.” Linc grabbed his brother’s hand and squeezed. Deran’s lips twitched into a smile. “Fine, we’re both in.”

It was grudging acceptance but Pope would take it. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on but he didn’t trust Angela with Adrian.

It was time they busted him out and figured out what was going on.

-0-

Adrian couldn’t move but he could hear.

He wished he couldn’t.

“I know, sweetie, it’s hard not being in control. But it’s the only way to explore your full potential. I know you’ve been holding out on everybody. You can see auras like I can. I’m going to help you with that and so much more.”

Adrian had kept that a secret from everyone. Being able to see auras gave him an edge. Although it hadn’t worked on the woman at the murder scene. He wished he’d seen her aura because he never would’ve let her get close enough to touch him.

The same with this crazy doctor. Although at least she wasn’t back in his mind again.

“I’m hurt. I thought we had a special connection here. Don’t worry, I’ve got some medication that should make you compliant. If you’re not…well, I’ll fix that.”

Oh, fuck no. Too bad he couldn’t move. He didn’t care that Jess said he should never hit a lady because this was a fucking psychopath, not a lad—”

“Wow, you’re a feisty one. I definitely have a drug for that. Oh, by the way, when you overuse the F word it loses its effectiveness. You might want to work on that.”

What the fuck?!

“What did I just say?” The doctor giggled. In what universe did that happen? 

Loud voices raised in anger filtered into his room. “Right on time. Your partner and your ex are causing a scene. You seem quite fond of Pope. I know how that goes because I once was, too. Maybe I’ll bring him along when I have you transferred to the locked unit and that will keep you in line.” No more giggling now. Dr. Brennan sounded like she meant business.

“You’d better believe it. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.” 

Adrian couldn’t believe this was happening. He was at the mercy of some psychopathic psychic who was going to lock him down in a psych ward and use Pope as leverage to make him comply with whatever she had planned.

The door swished open and Adrian mentally braced himself since his limbs were still offline.

“Hey, Adrian, it’s Linc. I’m going to disconnect you from this equipment and then I’ll get you out of here.” His friend’s smooth voice immediately calmed him.

He tried to reach out to Linc.

“Sorry, I’m a null. That’s one of the reasons Pope drafted me for this. Okay, I’m going to pick you up now.”

Adrian’s world shifted and things got foggy.

-0-

Pope thought they were playacting but Deran’s face was bright red and it looked like he was on the verge of tearing up, just like he used to do when he was a kid and didn’t get his way.

“Would you calm down?” Pope growled.

At least the people in the vicinity were drawn in by their theater, stopping to stare at the impending violence.

“It’s your fault he’s in here. You were supposed to keep him safe!” Deran shoved him and Pope staggered back a step despite trying to hold his ground.

That dig actually hurt. It was Pope’s job to keep Adrian safe and he had ended up in the hospital on his watch.

Pope verbally punched back. “You dumped Adrian, got yourself a new boyfriend and moved on. What do you care?”

Footsteps approached from behind and Pope almost missed ducking the fist moving toward his jaw as he turned to see if security had been summoned.

It was Angela. She stepped right into Pope’s space and whispered in his ear. “Do you like my gift? Or at least one of them. I can influence moods.”

Fuck. That explained Deran’s overreaction. 

Pope turned toward Angela and had to work hard to keep his expression flat; Linc was carrying Adrian out of the room and Angela didn’t even notice.

Someone landed on his back and Pope took that punch to the jaw this time although the angle was bad and there wasn’t a lot of strength to the contact.

It still hurt like a bitch.

“Jesus, Deran, calm down! What would Linc say?” If Angela was right then Deran couldn’t help how he was feeling but Pope hoped his boyfriend’s name snapped him out of it.

“Did someone say my name?”

Deran immediately slid off Pope’s back. He could hear Linc talking his brother down but Pope kept his attention on Angela.

“You’d better come with me, Pope. You’ll want to make sure Adrian is okay.” Angela’s smile was too wide and her blue eyes looked wild.

He checked over his shoulder and Linc subtly nodded at him. He turned back. “Yeah, of course. I have to keep Adrian safe.”

That answer seemed to satisfy Angela and she turned on her heel and marched toward Adrian’s room.

Pope whirled around and found Linc and Deran by the door to the stairwell.

“Come on,” Linc opened the door. “I stashed him on the floor below. Let’s grab him and get the fuck out of here.”

Angela shrieked and all three men bolted down the stairs.

Pope thought if they hustled, they had a chance to get Adrian to safety and then he could see about arresting Angela.

As long as she was free Adrian’s life was in danger and that wasn’t something Pope could take.

-0-

Adrian was sitting on the couch although he was using Pope to help keep him upright. Now that the drugs were leaving his system as Linc had assured him they were, he was beginning to feel more like himself.

His old self.

Well, his post-accident self with his powers returning to normal.

He could still see some auras. Pearce was blue which fit since that was supposed to mean calm, intuitive and a teacher. Deran and Linc were both yellow—joy and harmony—and they were sickening happy together.

Adrian was a little hurt because at one time he thought he and Deran could’ve been happy like this but now he thought Linc was better for Deran. Grounded him more. They balanced each other well.

Pope was green. That was a new one. Green was optimistic and balanced. Those weren’t exactly words Adrian would’ve applied to Pope.

But that was before.

Pearce cleared his throat. “Dr. Brennan has been experimenting on psychics without their consent for over a year. We’d noticed a spike in our psychics on the force having issues with their gifts but we never connected it to them having mandated visits with Brennan.” He looked toward the couch. “Thanks to you two she’s going to spend plenty of time behind bars, hopefully getting the help she needs.”

Deran coughed into his fist. Pearce turned his head and smiled at the two men, hip to hip, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Sorry, make that you four.”

Linc smiled and Deran elbowed him in the ribs. 

“What about Andre?” Pope sounded pissed.

“We haven’t found any ties between him and Brennan. He’s just an asshole.” Pearce’s eyes twinkled.

Pope actually huffed a laugh. This was the most relaxed his partner had been since…ever?

Adrian rubbed his forehead as exhaustion caught up to him.

Pope spoke softly. “You getting tired?”

“Yeah. But how did you know?” He wasn’t leaning against Pope any harder than usual and he hadn’t yawned or anything.

“I’m psychic too.” Pope smiled. 

It was beautiful. Natural and relaxed and Pope’s light brown eyes sparkled.

But Adrian couldn’t let his words pass without comment. “Fuck off, you are not.”

Pope sobered. “You always rub your forehead when you get tired.” He turned his attention back to the rest of the room. “Adrian needs his rest, is there anything else?”

Pearce raised an eyebrow but was agreeable. “I just wanted to give you an update and make sure Adrian was feeling better. I’ll let myself out.”

Deran grumbled but Linc grabbed his hand. “Come on, babe. We’ve got things to do.”

That shut his brother right up. The two departed with a wave.

Adrian turned to Pope. “Are you going to give me a ride home.”

Pope looked ill at ease. “I thought maybe you could stay here tonight.”

The green bled away and was slowly replaced by red. Pope didn’t seem angry.

Passion?

Huh. Adrian had assumed the feelings were one sided.

“I think I’d like that.”

Pope’s face relaxed before he stood up.

He offered Adrian a hand. 

Nothing calmed him quite like Pope’s touch. Although if this lead where he hoped, he was pretty sure calm wasn’t what he’d be feeling when Pope touched him.

Adrian took the proffered hand. Energy zinged through him.

He smiled as he climbed to his feet. He had a good feeling about this and it had nothing to do with his powers.

-0-

Pope pulled Adrian into his arms. “Are you sure about this?”

From the moment Pope had become partners with Adrian, he’d felt a bond with the other man. At first it was just about keeping him safe but that protective feeling had turned into something else.

Attraction and feelings and… Adrian blinked his eyes and Pope was mesmerized by the deep blue color.

“Well, what exactly are your intentions here?” Plump pink lips curved into a smile. 

Pope smiled back. “I promise I have only the best of intentions.”

When Adrian nodded, he pressed his lips to Adrian’s and licked at his lower lip. When his mouth opened, Pope slipped his tongue inside and swirled it around, exploring the warmth. 

As Pope lowered his eyelids, he noticed the freckles sprinkled across the bridge of Adrian’s cute nose. He wondered if the freckles were all over.

As he deepened the kiss, he hoped he’d get the chance to find out.

Finis

**Author's Note:**

> Experiments by Evil Scientists was the prompt for this story. *shrugs*
> 
> If you read this, thank you for taking the chance on something different.


End file.
